Special teams should be a strength for BYU this season — and they will need to be

Aside from giving up two punt returns for touchdowns — at Arkansas and at Texas — BYU’s special teams were better than expected in 2023, with Will Ferrin’s 48-yard field goal to send the game against Oklahoma State into overtime perhaps the biggest highlight.

Another memorable moment would have been Keelan Marion’s 91-yard kickoff return for a would-be touchdown against West Virginia, but it was negated by a holding penalty away from the ball.

Speedster and true freshman Marcus McKenzie made some big plays early in the season from his gunner position on punt coverage, but sustained a season-ending foot injury and was not available later in the year. Ryan Rehkow, one of the best punters in school history, flipped the field in BYU’s favor countless times.

Rehkow is now trying to make it in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, and solid punt returner Hobbs Nyberg entered the transfer portal after the season. But for the most part, everybody else is back in 2024, so special teams should be one of BYU’s strengths this season.

“I feel comfortable with all of it, all of the kicking game, whether it is the snap, hold, punt or kick,” coach Kalani Sitake said Wednesday.

Special teams coordinator Kelly Poppinga said he’s also feeling good about special teams heading into the season, saying they could make a difference in close games — and there will probably be a lot of them.

“I feel like the speed on our team is as good as BYU has had, maybe ever,” Poppinga said. “So we are going to capitalize on that on special teams. We have really fast receivers and defensive backs who are going to really help us.”

Of course, McKenzie is one of those athletes. The St. George product “has looked great in camp,” Poppinga said Monday, although McKenzie wasn’t in shoulder pads like his teammates were that day during the media viewing portion of practice.

“He came up to me right when he was healthy and said, ‘Hey coach, I still want to be the starting corner, but I want to be the starting gunner as well,’” Poppinga said. “I think he took some pride in that job and just the impact he made from the very beginning, from the first five or six games. He might have been the most dynamic gunner in the country, on punts. We are eager to get him back out there doing his thing again.”

Poppinga said McKenzie’s brother, Dominique, who is listed as a receiver on BYU’s roster, could help out on kickoff return, but for now those jobs will go to receivers Parker Kingston, Marion, and, possibly, walk-on receiver Ty West, who has made a splash in preseason training camp by hauling in a couple long passes.

Kingston also emerged as the primary punt returner late last season, taking over for Nyberg. Poppinga said other possibilities for kickoff and punt return duties are receiver Chase Roberts and recently returned missionary Cody Hagen, also listed as a receiver.

“There are a slew of guys I feel comfortable with back there,” Poppinga said.

Kicker Will Ferrin eyes school record

Remember last year, when kicking was a huge concern in fall camp as BYU went about replacing all-time leading scorer Jake Oldroyd? Boise State transfer Ferrin stepped in and solved that problem, proving to be more than capable.

The Davis High product was 11 of 14 on his field goal tries and 32 of 33 on his PATs.

“From the very beginning, from what I saw of him at Boise State, when he decided to transfer here, I told everybody we are going to be just fine. I knew that from the beginning,” said Poppinga, who returned to BYU after stints at Virginia and Boise State.

“Then I would say the pleasant surprise is (backup kicker) Matthias Dunn. He pushed Will all through camp a year ago. And going into the season, I felt great about both of those guys, whoever it was going to be.”

Poppinga said former BYU standout kicker Owen Pochman (1996-2000) has been at several practices to work with the kickers, and remind them that he owns the school record, having booted a 56-yarder against New Mexico.

“Will is eager to maybe break that school record,” Poppinga said. “Now we need to get Kalani to give us a shot at a 57-yarder that will break it. Will has had a great offseason and we are just excited to see him progress.”

Battle to be starting punter continues

Replacing Ryan Rehkow won’t be easy after the Washington native led the Big 12 and was No. 2 nationally in punting last year with a 48.4 average. He had 31 punts of 50 or more yards.

BYU went out and got former Pitt punter Sam Vander Haar from the transfer portal , and the 27-year-old from Australia is battling Rehkow’s younger brother, Landon, for the job.

“I think they are dead even right now. Both have their strengths and their weaknesses. It is a dead heat competition. I think we are going to be fine with either one of them,” Poppinga said. “I feel really good about the long snappers, too.”

Dalton Riggs of Eagle, Idaho, and Cannon Skidmore of Mesa, Arizona, are the deep snappers on the roster.

“Those six guys that we have snapping, kicking and punting are solid and consistent,” Poppinga said. “They were very committed this summer. It is as tight of a special teams unit as I have ever had. I am really excited to see what they are going to do this season.”